LISBON METROPOLITAN ORCHESTRA

The Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa (OML) was founded in 1992 under the management of AMEC a nonprofitable
association, and made its first public appearance on 10th June of that year with the pianist Maria João
Pires as soloist. Since then, OML has been developing an intensive activity throughout the year, including
symphonic repertoire, chamber music and solo recitals. This innovative project combines music performance with
teaching in the Academia Nacional Superior de Orquestra (Academy) and the Conservatório Metropolitano de
Música de Lisboa (Conservatory), both managed by AMEC. A policy of decentralization of activities and
participation in several cultural projects has been developed. Programmes specially conceived to attract new
audiences are performed by both OML and the Orquestra Académica Metropolitana, the orchestra from the
Academy. In 1993, under Miguel Graça Moura, the OML made its first international tour on the invitation of the
European Commission and Parliament, with performances in Brussels and Strasbourg. In 1997, the OML toured
Italy, India, South Korea, Macau and Thailand, followed by a very successful tour of Japan in 1999. In September
2001 OML performed again in Thailand as a guest of the Third International Music and Dance Festival of Bangkok.
At present OML has as its Artistic Director the Portuguese conductor Álvaro Cassuto and has been performing
under the direction of guest conductors, including Jean-Sébastien Béreau, Jun Wang, Lucas Pfaff, Nicholas
Kraemer, Olivier Kuendet, Brian Schembri, Marc Tardue, David Gimenez, Victor Yampolsky, José Collado and
Michael Zilm. Other Portuguese conductors who have worked with OML include Manuel Ivo Cruz, Joana Carneiro,
Cesário Costa and Vasco Pearce de Azevedo. The orchestra has also collaborated with a distinguished list of
soloists. The Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa has recorded nine compact discs for different labels, including EMI
Classics and RCA Classics. In 1996 OML was awarded a platinum record, for selling more than 24,000 copies of its
second record.